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   Havdalah is perhaps one of the most beautiful services of the entire Shabbat. It consists of five separate parts: the introductory pesukim—verses, the Brachot on the wine, the spices, the fire, and then the actual Havdalah. The pesukim that introduce Havdalah are a prayer to have a week full of mazel and bracha, good fortune and blessings.
    According to most authorities Havdalah is the mirror image of Kiddush. Just as Kiddush sanctifies Shabbat when it comes in, Havdalah sanctifies it when it leaves. By proclaiming the Shabbat that is leaving holy and different than the day that is arriving, we are sanctifying Shabbat. The Rabbis established it on wine to add a measure of importance and dignity to Havdalah. In addition to the rabbinic requirement to use wine for Havdalah, the Gemora in Shavuot tells us there are other rewards for using wine.

    The Gemora in Eruvin tells us that any house that did not spill wine will not have bracha—blessings. This is the reason behind the custom to overflow the cup. We fill it to the brim and let it overflow so that we may have good mazel during the week.

    The Halacha of the besamin—spices is a unique one. The spices are not an integral part of Havdalah, rather they are to soothe the Neshama—soul. When Shabbat leaves, the extra soul that we received on Shabbat also leaves. This makes our primary soul weak. Our Rabbi’s therefore instituted that we should smell spices to soothe the soul. This explains why we don’t use spices after a Yom Tov; on Yom Tov we do not have an extra Neshama and our soul does not need to be soothed. It also explains why if the spices are missing one still recites Havdalah without them.

    There are two conflicting Midrashim as to why we have fire at Havdalah. The first says that on the first Motzei Shabbat—Saturday night Hashem put into Adam HaRishon’s head to take two rocks bang them together and make fire. In the other Medrash, we find Adam HaRishon was sitting in the dark on the first Motzei Shabbat and worrying that the snake that got him into trouble on Erev Shabbat will come and get him again. Hashem sent a pillar of fire to make light for him and guard him from all bad. Adam saw this and was happy. He now knew that Hashem was with him.

    Adam stretched his hands toward the fire and said the same Bracha that we see today of “Baruch Borei M’orie H’aish”—“Blessed is the Creator of light of the fire.” Because this Bracha is also not an integral component of Havdalah, if Havdalah is made on a different night, or there is a candle is not available the Bracha is not made.

    The Gemora in Pesachim states that it is best to use a torch for this Bracha. The reason for this is to increase the benefit we have from the light. This is the reason we use a candle with at least two wicks. If one does not have a two wick candle, two candles may be put together to form one. The custom to look at one’s finger nails after the Bracha is in order to judge whether the light is intense enough to have properly benefited from it. The proper amount is to be able to tell apart two small coins of different denominations. This is the same amount of light needed to tell the difference between the fingernail and skin.

    The last and final part of the Havdalah service is the actual Havdalah. This is of course, where we sanctify the day of Shabbat as it leaves.

    May your newfound understanding of Havdalah bring a week of mazal and Bracha.